Removable accessory device for washing machine agitators



Dec. 26, 1967 w, -r 3,359,764

REMOVABLE ACCESSORY DEVICE FOR WASHING MACHINE AGITATORS Filed June 30, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 S- W. FAUST Dec. 26,1967

REMOVABLE ACCESSORY DEVICE FOR WASHING MACHINE AGITATORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 30, 1960 United States Patent 3,359,764 REMOVABLE ACCESSORY DEVICE FOR WASHING MACHINE AGITATORS Stewart W. Faust, 802 S. 14th Ave. W., Newton, Iowa 50208 Filed June 30, 1960, Ser. No. 39,871 7 Claims. (Cl. 68207) This invention relates to a removable accessory device for washing machine agitators, such as a dispenser for washing machines, and more particularly, to a device for automatically dispensing a solution, for example bleach, to a washing machine at the proper time.

Most bleaches are desirable additions to washing solutions, since they not only bleach the fabrics, but also assist in the detergency action of the synthetic detergents commonly used. Often, however, the fabrics contain fluorescent dyes, the action of which may be adversely affected by the bleach. It is, therefore, desirable that the fabrics be agitated with the washing fluid containing the detergent for a short period prior to bleach addition, so that the fluorescent dyes may first attach themselves to the fabrics. Thereafter, addition of bleach does not adversely affect the dyes.

Addition of the bleach directly into the tub without dilution first may result in damage or injury to the fabrics. This is particularly true if the bleach is added prior to filling of the tub with the washing fluids.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a mechanism for automatically dispensing additives into the washing fluids of a domestic clothe washing machine. It is a further object of the invention to gradually diffuse additive solutions into the washing fluids. It is yet a further object of the invention to maintain additives in a dispenser until the agitation cycle is instituted. It is another object of the invention to prevent the introduction of additives into the tub of a washing machine until the washing cycle has been instituted. Further objects and advantages of this invention will become evident as the description proceeds and from an examination of the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention and in which similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation, partially broken away, showing a vertical axis washing machine incorporating the dispenser of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the additive dispenser shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the dispenser cover;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of the body portion of the dispenser which illustrates an impeller device in phantom lines.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 in the accompanying drawings, there is shown an automatic washing machine of the vertical axis type within a cabinet 10. The machine has an access opening 11 normally covered by the hinged access lid panel 12. Within the cabinet is the tub or receptacle 13 for retaining the fluids used during the washing and rinsing operations. Tub 13 has an access opening 14 in its tu-b crown aligned with the cabinet access opening 11.

In the illustrated machine, tub 13 is restrained against rotation by means of its connections to the inverted tripod support members 16 which are connected to a common non-rotatable base member (not shown) forming the tub support and capable of gyrating within cabinet 10 in along line 55 "ice response to the various forces created by the rotation of unbalanced loads.

A clothes basket 17 having perforate side and bottom walls is mounted within tub 13. A conventional oscillatmg type agitator 19 is positioned within basket 17, so as to provide the agitation of fabrics placed within basket 17, and immersed in the fluids retained by tub 13.

The clothes basket 17 is rigidly connected to spin tube 21 and the gear housing 22 aflixed to the latter by shaft shown) in the bottom of tub 13 so that rotation of spin tube 21 will rotate basket 17. Rotation of basket 17 will centrifugally extract fluids from the fabrics contained therein and cause the extracted fluids to be caught by tub 13 and discharged through the drain hose 23 to an external drain, whenever the pump and valve (not shown) connected to hose 23 and controlled by an external central circuit are operated.

The power shaft 25 journalled within spin tube 21 is connected to the motion converting unit housed within gear housing 22 and connected to the agitator 19 so that rotary movement of shaft 25 is converted into oscillatory movement for agitator 19 to produce the desired agitation within basket 17.

The lower ends of center shaft 25 and spin tube 21 are connected to and controlled by a drive unit (not shown) which brakes spin tube 21 and receptacle 13 against rotational movement during the agitation periods while simultaneously rotating shaft 25 to produce an oscillatory movement of agitator 19. During the centrifugal extraction operations, shaft 25 and spin tube 21 are rotated in unison so that basket 17 and agitator 19 are also rotated in unison with no relative movement taking place between the latter members.

In FIGURE 1, the upper end of centerpost 28 of agitator 19, provided with peripheral ribs 29, supports a dispenser generally indicated by reference numeral 30. Dispenser 30 includes a main body portion 31 and a cover 32. Dispenser 30 is supported on centerpost 28 by cooperation between the upper end of that centerpost and a reentrant portion 35 formed in body portion 31, as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5. Dispenser 30 is prevented from rotation relative to centerpost 28 by ribs 29 on the centerpost and mating grooves 36 provided in portion 35 to produce a splined connection between centerpost 28 and dispenser 30.

Cover 32, which is normally mounted on body portion 31 except for cleaning'purposes includes a centrally located fill opening 37 formed in the lower portion of the dish-shaped cover 32, as shown in FIGURES 2, 3, and 4.

Mounted below the opening 37 is an additive cup, or compartment, 40. The additive compartment is formed by a side wall 41 spaced from the body 31 of the dispenser, reentrant body portion 35, and a bottom wall 42 which extends between the side wall 41 and the reentrant body portion 35. The dimensions of the compartment 40 are such that its volumetric capacity is greater than the amount of additives to be dispensed, so that it will readily contain the total additives desired without overflowing into the receptacle.

A conduit 44 is mounted in the dispenser for conducting fluid to be discharged from the compartment 40 into the receptacle 13. The conduit has a bottom end opening 45 communicating with the receptacle 13 and a top opening 46 communicatingwith the compartment 40. The top opening 46 is located at a height in the compartment above the initial additive level, so that the additives will not be dispensed into the receptacle until the washing operation has been started. The wall 47 of the conduit 44 forms a weir over which the fluids within the compart ment 40 must flow in order to be discharged to the receptacle 13, so that the height of wall 47 determines the fluid level maintained in the compartment 40. A

Between the dispenser body wall 31 and the compartment side wall 41 are several passageways 50. The passageways may be extended downwardly by a skirt 51 depending from the walls of the compartment 40. The bottom openings 52 of the passageways are located at a point below the level of the washing fluids within the tub 13 as indicated in FIGURE 1. In the passageways 50 are located a number of impellers, or scoops, in the form of inclined ramps 54 which extend from the bottom openings 52 to the top of the passageways and communicate with top openings 55 in the top wall 56. Since the bottom openings 52 of the passageways are positioned below the washing fluid level of the tub 13, as the agitator 19 is oscillated, the inclined ramps 54 pump water into the compartment 40 from openings 52 through openings 55.

In order to prevent the washing fluids entering one opening 55 from returning to the tub through another adjacent opening, the openings 55 are separated by dividing partitions 57 mounted on the inside face of cover 32. The dividing partitions 57 allow the top openings 55 of the passageways 50 to communicate with the compartment 40, but block the flow of fluid between adjacent openings 55.

From the foregoing it is believed that operation of the dispenser of the invention is apparent. The additives to be dispensed are introduced into the dispenser 30 through the opening 37 in cover 32. The amount of bleach introduced into the dispenser is less than the volumetric capacity of the compartment 40 so it does not overflow through conduit 44. The fabrics to be cleaned may be introduced at the same time into the basket 17.

When the agitator begins to oscillate after filling tub 13 to the proper level with washing fluid, washing fluids are pumped by the inclined ramps 54 into the compartment 40. The compartment 40 is filled with washing fluids that dilute the bleach until the fluid level is above the opening 46 of conduit 44, after which the fluids overflow into the receptacle 13. It will be noted that the additives will be diluted before being introduced into the recep tacle 13. Also, there will be a time delay prior to dispensing the additives into the receptacle depending on the capacity of compartment 40. It is contemplated that the pumping of washing fluids into compartment 40 from the tub 13 can also be effected after the agitator begins to agitate by pumping means in or on the agitator and adapted to project washing fluids from the tub 13 upwardly through the agitator and into said compartment 40 through an opening in the upper part of the re-entrant portion 35.

During the centrifugal extraction period, rotation of the agitator centerpost 28 causes the fluids within compartment 40 to move away from the axis of rotation. This forces the fluids against side wall 41 and through openings 55, so that the contents are discharged into receptacle 13. To facilitate elimination of the fluid contents, the walls 41 of the compartment may be flared outwardly.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, these are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation. Changes in form and the proportion of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalents are contemplated, as circumstances may suggest or render expedient, without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention as further defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a clothes washing machine, the combination comprising a receptacle for containing fluids at a predetermined normal level; an agitator in said receptacle oscillatable about a vertical axis; a member removably mounted on said agitator to receive fluids from said receptacle including a compartment defined by wall members, an access opening to said compartment, one of said wall members defining opening means for discharging fluids from said compartment downwardly into said receptacle,

means for maintaining a fluid level in said compartment and allowing discharge of additives into the receptacle only after the fluid level in said compartment attains a certain height, and means radially outwardly of said compartment for introducing fluids from said receptacle into said compartment during oscillation of said agitator, said last named means directly connected to said device and removable therewith from said agitator and including at least one ingress opening to said compartment and at least one scoop member extending downwardly at an incline to below the normal fluid level in said receptacle to raise said fluid from said receptacle upwardly through said ingress opening and into said compartment during oscillatory movement of said agitator.

2. In a washing machine having an oscillatory agitator post, the combination comprising: an annular plate; an inner wall extending upwardly from the plate along the inner edge thereof; a first outer wall extending upwardly from the plate along the outer edge thereof; a second outer wall similar to said first outer wall and spaced concentrically outwardly therefrom; means for securing the plate to the post to extend substantially horizontally; and a scoop extending between said outer walls and having a lower portion extending downwardly from the plane of said plate for scooping washing liquid upwardly as a result of movement of the plate in one direction of rotation with the post and having an upper portion extending upwardly from the plane of said plate for directing scooped washing liquid onto the upper surface of the plate.

3. In a washing machine having an oscillatory agitator post, the combination comprising: an annular plate; an inner wall extending upwardly from the plate along the inner edge thereof; a first outer wall having a first portion extending upwardly and a second portion extending downwardly from the plate along the outer edge thereof; a second outer wall similar to the said first outer wall and spaced concentrically outwardly therefrom; means for securing the plate to the post to extend substantially horizontally; and a scoop having a lower portion extending downwardly from the plane of said plate between said second portions of said outer walls for scooping washing liquid upwardly as a result of movement of the plate in one direction of rotation with the post and having an upper portion extending upwardly from the plane of said plate between said first portions of said outer walls for directing scooped washing liquid onto the upper surfaces of the plate.

4. In a washing machine having an oscillatory agitator post, the combination comprising: an annular plate; an inner wall extending upwardly from the plate along the inner edge thereof; a first outer wall having a first portion extending upwardly and a second portion extending downwardly from the plate along the outer edge thereof; a second outer wall similar to said first outer wall and spaced concentrically outwardly therefrom; means for securing the plate to the post to extend substantially horizontally; a scoop having a lower portion extending downwardly from the plane of said plate between said second portions of said outer walls for scooping washing liquid upwardly as a result of movement of the plate in one direction of rotation with the post and having an upper portion extending upwardly from the plane of said plate between said first portions of said outer walls; and guide means overlying said scoop for directing scooped washing liquid from said upper portions of the scoop onto the upper surface of the plate.

5. In a washing machine having a fluid container and an oscillatory agitator provided with an upright centerpost within said container, the combination comprising, an annular perforate member including upstanding radially spaced inner and outer side walls, means for mounting said member on said centerpost, scoop means radially outwardly of said member for scooping fluid upwardly from said container during oscillatory movements of said agitator, and deflector means aflixed to said member for deflecting the scooped fluid radially inwardly and over said upstanding outer side wall and downwardly onto said member for gravitational return therethrough to said container.

6. In a washing machine having a fluid container and an oscillatory agitator provided with an upright centerpost within said container, means comprising, an annular member including upstanding radially spaced inner and outer side walls, means for mounting said member on said centerpost, scoop means radially outwardly of said member for scooping fluid upwardly from said container during oscillatory movements of said agitator, and deflec tor means affixed to said member for deflecting the scooped fluid radially inwardly and over said upstanding outer side Wall and downwardly onto said member for gravitational return therethrough to said container.

7. In a washing machine having a fluid container and an oscillatory agitator provided with an upright centerpost within said container, means comprising, an annular member including upstanding radially spaced inner and outer side walls, means for mounting said member on said centerpost, scoop means radially outwardly of said memher for scooping fluid upwardly from said container during oscillatory movements of said agitator, and deflector means over said scoop means aflixed to said member for deflecting the scooped fluid radially inwardly and over said upstanding outer side wall and downwardly onto said member for gravitational return therethrough to said container.

References Cited IRVING BUNEVICI-I, Primary Examiner. CHARLES WILLMUTH, W. A. SCHEEL, Examiners.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,359,764 December 26, 1967 Stewart W. Faust It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 2, line 9, after "shaft" insert connections which are journalled in a bearing (not Signed and sealed this 21st day of January 1969.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer 

1. IN A CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE FOR CONTAINING FLUIDS AT A PREDETERMINED NORMAL LEVEL; AN AGITATOR IN SAID RECEPTACLE OSCILLATABLE ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS; A MEMBER REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID AGITOR TO RECEIVE FLUIDS FROM SAID RECEPTACLE INCLUDING A COMPARTMENT DEFINED BY WALL MEMBERS, AN ACCESS OPENING TO SAID COMPARTMENT, ONE OF SAID WALL MEMBERS DEFINING OPENING MEANS FOR DISCHARGING FLUIDS FROM SAID COMPARTMENT DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID RECEPTACLE, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING A FLUID LEVEL IN SAID COMPARTMENT AND ALLOWING DISCHARGE OF ADDITIVES INTO THE RECEPTACLE ONLY AFTER THE FLUID LEVEL IN SAID COMPARTMENT ATTAINS A CERTAIN HEIGHT, AND MEANS RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID COMPARTMENT FOR INTRODUCING FLUIDS FROM SAID RECEPTACLE INTO SAID COMPARTMENT DURING OSCILLATION OF SAID AGITATOR, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO SAID DEVICE AND REMOVABLE THEREWITH FROM SAID AGITATOR AND INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE INGRESS OPENING TO SAID COMPARTMENT AND AT LEAST ONE SCOOP MEMBER EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AT AN INCLINE TO BELOW THE NORMAL FLUID LEVEL IN SAID RECEPTACLE TO RAISE SAID FLUID FROM SAID RECEPTACLE UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID INGRESS OPENING AND INTO SAID COMPARTMENT DURING OSCILLATORY MOVEMENT OF SAID AGITATOR. 